3p Weekend: 5 Signs American Food is Changing For the Better

With a busy week behind you and the weekend within reach, there’s no shame in taking things a bit easy on Friday afternoon. With this in mind, every Friday TriplePundit will give you a fun, easy read on a topic you care about. So, take a break from those endless email thread and spend five minutes catching up on the latest trends in sustainability and business.

American eating habits have been the joke of the world for years. The fat, lazy American filling up on junk food and soda proved to be both a punchline and an unfortunate reality. But if recent trends are any indication, the American food industry may be changing for the better.

As consumers become more conscious about calories and wary of mysterious ingredients, food and beverage companies are forced to take notice -- and take notice they have: in the form of healthier options and expanded corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. So, are Americans really ready for a turnaround when it comes to food? These five signs point to yes.

1. Old favorites feel the pinch

Long gone are the days of Americans chowing down on double cheeseburgers and extra-large sodas in their SUVs. Sure, drive-thru joints are still popular with some, but fast food and soda companies are seeing sales drop in the U.S., leaving them scrambling to regain market share.

Case in point: Each American consumed roughly 56 gallons of soda -- the equivalent of 1.3 oil barrels -- every year in 1998, Bloomberg Businessweek reported. In contrast, Americans now drink around 450 cans of soda annually (roughly 42 gallons), the same as they did in 1986. Likewise, fast food chains like McDonald's are seeing sales plummet, worrying executives and shareholders alike.

3. Transparency becomes a must-have

As American diners become more conscious about what's on their plates, transparency is no longer optional for food and beverage giants. In response, we're seeing companies roll out sustainable sourcing policies for ingredients like seafood and palm oil.

Beyond that: More than two-thirds of supply chain executives surveyed in PwC’s 2013 Global Supply Chain Survey said sustainability will play an important role in managing supply chains through 2015 due to the potential to improve resilience, reduce costs and support growth. In an op-ed on TriplePundit, PwC's Shannon Schuyler predicted that this year "investors can expect to see increased collaboration at the supply chain level, leading the way for more sustainable sourcing."

Mary Mazzoni, Senior Editor, has written for TriplePundit since 2013. She is also Managing Editor of CR Magazine and the Editor of 3p’s Sponsored Series. Mazzoni’s recent work can be found in Conscious Company, AlterNet and VICE’s Motherboard. She is based in Philadelphia, PA.